A New Deal-era post office building has new life as an upscale produce market and specialty grocery in downtown Plymouth.

The opening this summer of the Westborn Market on Penniman, in the 1935 former post office, is probably the city’s most anticipated commercial debut since the Mayflower Centre, which replaced the landmark Mayflower Hotel at Main Street and Ann Arbor Trail, opened nearly 15 years ago.

The new Westborn, which preserves some of the original features of the post office and incorporates them into its redesign, has been greeted by steady crowds, company officials say. It’s the fourth location for the 53-year-old, family owned company; the others are in Dearborn, Berkley and Livonia.

“The reception from the community has been outstanding,” said Bryan Bandyk, a company director, during a Thursday tour. “It’s nice to be appreciated.”

“The town’s been really receptive,” said Austin Anusbigian, the store manager, whose grandparents George and Jeanette Anusbigian opened the first Westborn in Dearborn in 1963. “We’ve become a go-to stop for everyone’s needs.”

Austin Anusbigian represents the third generation of his family’s involvement with Westborn.

The Plymouth Westborn has about 11,000 square feet on the main floor and about 5,000 square feet in the basement, which houses the beer and wine department, the store’s main kitchen and a kitchenware and home goods area.

That’s smaller than the typical Westborn, Bandyk said, but, with some exceptions, most departments are scaled down as well, and everything that can be found at the other Westborns is available in Plymouth.

Produce central at every Westborn, Bandyk said, and in Plymouth, the produce section begins on a dock just outside the main doors, off the parking lot next to the building, and continues inside.

‘Old-school market’

Bandyk said outdoor displays will continue as long as the weather allows, and are an important part of Westborn’s identity.

“It’s kind of an old-school market. We want to make sure people know you’re coming into a marketplace,” he said.

Westborn buys produce fresh six or seven days a week at Eastern Market and the Detroit Produce Terminal. “We’re still at heart a produce market first,” Anusbigian said.

Inside, beyond the produce, there’s a meat department, a juice counter (they bottle fresh-squeezed orange juice there, and plan to juice more fruits), a grocery section, baked goods, a deli and even a flower shop in what was the postmaster’s office.

Westborn is big on Michigan-grown and Michigan-made foods; Bandyk said it’s now the peak season for Michigan produce, with even more to come in the late summer and fall. The store has locally brewed beers, raw juices from Plymouth’s own Drought, and breads and desserts from the Crust artisan bakery in Fenton. Westborn also bakes its own brand of muffins, pies, cookies and cupcakes at the store.

The new Westborn also has an in-store bistro where shoppers can get a meal prepared on site. There’s indoor and outdoor bistro seating, a first for any Westborn store, Bandyk said.

Bandyk declined to say how much the company spent to remodel the post office, but called it “a significant long-term investment.”

He said: “This is a marathon, not a sprint. We plan on being there virtually forever.”

Historical features that were preserved at the 81-year-old building include original wood flooring in much of the store, the original terrazzo flooring, woodwork and service counter in what was the post office’s public lobby, the mural “Plymouth History” by Carlos Lopez, and the original post-office boxes.

“We still have all the keys,” Anusbigian said.

The Westborn site is owned by Mark and Patty Malcolm of Plymouth, who bought the building for $760,000 from the U.S. Postal Service in 2014 with an eye toward preserving it.